The American Top Gun fighter pilot academy was inspired by the Royal Navy elite flying instructors, a new book has revealed. Despite the all-American hero imagery of the film starring Tom Cruise, the US Navy's expertise was in large part due to their instruction by aviators from the Fleet Air Arm... Although the British did their best to fit in, their humour prevailed. Rather than call signs of Viper and Maverick they came up with Dogbreath, Alien and Cholmondley...

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Apparently, all is made clear in this new book:

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I heard Cdr Doug MacDonald RN with military historian Rowland White on Radio 4's Today programme this morning (listen again link) and was amused to learn that his call sign was 'Haggis'. Eat your heart out, Maverick!